


Pride

by leontina (Leontina)



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Community: rs_games, Fluff, LGBTQ Themes, M/M, R/S Games 2016, Remus and Sirius survive, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-28
Updated: 2016-10-28
Packaged: 2018-08-24 04:04:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,542
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8356411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Leontina/pseuds/leontina
Summary: R/S Games 2016 - Day 20 - Team TimeA look at Sirius’s experiences of LGBT pride over the years.





	

**Author's Note:**

> **Team:** Time  
>  **Title:** Pride  
>  **Rating:** PG  
>  **Warnings:** None  
>  **Genres:** Fluff/Romance  
>  **Word Count:** 1500  
>  **Summary:** A look at Sirius’s experiences of LGBT pride over the years.  
>  **Notes:** I hope you all enjoy this! This is kinda AU-ish in that Sirius and Remus both survive the war.  
>  **Prompt:** #36 - Picture from 1970s London Pride.  
> 

**1972**

Sirius stashed his robes into his rucksack, and stepped out onto the Muggle street in the much more stylish flared jeans and _The Who_ t-shirt. He wasn’t all that clued up about Muggle culture, but Remus had clued him in on the latest fashions.

Sirius felt like a different person when he could just be himself, even if that was in the Muggle world. He didn’t share his parents’ ideas that the Muggle and magical world should be completely separate; there had to be boundaries, yes, but Muggles weren’t vermin like some pure-bloods believed them to be.

And truth be told, Sirius didn’t think he would be so interested in Muggle culture if his parents hadn’t been so dead-set against it, but he loved doing anything his parents hated. Not that they knew that Sirius was up to—Merlin, no—but it gave Sirius a rush to sneak out into the Muggle world. It was a kind of silent rebellion that got his heart racing.

He had seen posters up during his last Muggle outing stating that today would be the very first LGBT march in London. Sirius was just coming to realise that he liked boys far more than he liked girls, and he wanted to see what the march would be like, and to see other people like him.

Sirius hadn’t discussed his feelings with anyone, not even James—and he told James _everything_. But it wasn’t proper to talk to his best friend about his crush on one of their other best friends, so he kept quiet about his growing crush on Remus.

Sirius had started noticing every little detail about Remus, like how his hair was the same colour as honey, and how there were little flecks of amber in his pale green eyes, and how his fingers were long and slim and perfect for playing instruments.

Though while Sirius could play three instruments—piano, violin, and flute—Remus could play none. Sirius had daydreamed on many occasions about sitting with Remus by the piano, watching those elegant fingers playing the keys as Sirius guided him. It was so sweet and romantic that Sirius had been shocked he could even come up with those thoughts.

Then there was Remus’s personality. He was quiet and calm, but had a wicked sense of humour which took people totally by surprise. He was responsible and observant of the rules, and then told his friends where their pranks were going wrong and how they could fix it. He swore like a sailor, but only in the privacy of their dorm-room so absolutely nobody else believed his friends when they claimed it was true. He was an enigma, and Sirius loved a good mystery.

No, it was definitely not something Sirius wanted to discuss with James anytime soon.

Sirius finally made it to where the march was taking place, and was immediately taken aback by the sight. Despite the heavy presence of Muggle police officers looming threateningly on the pavement, there were hundreds of people—possibly even a thousand and so of them—crowded together holding rainbow flags and picket signs. 

Though some of them were glaring at the police, others looked entirely care-free, as if being able to be out in public openly with the one they loved was worth far more than anything else.

Sirius wondered how it would feel to be that happy, that free. He acted like a rebellious teenager in front of his parents, yes, but the truth was they didn’t know just how deep the extent of his resentment towards them ran. They could handle his Muggle posters and Gryffindor friends, because deep down they believed that he was just going through a phase and would fulfil his family duty when he turned of age by marrying a nice pure-blood girl and securing an heir. 

Too bad Sirius had already planned on emancipating himself as soon as he turned of age.

And maybe by then he’d have found himself a relationship of his own. He could bring his boyfriend to a march like this, and they could walk hand-in-hand, sticking their middle fingers up at the naysayers, and kissing tenderly on the street for all the world to see. It would be perfect. 

Even if it wasn’t with Remus, but Sirius really hoped it was.

**1978**

Hand-in-hand with Remus, Sirius had never been happier. 

It was his first Pride march as a now openly gay man. He’d never forgotten that time when he was thirteen and seen the march for the first time, and how he’d watched in awe at all the proud and happy individuals marching together.

Now Sirius was eighteen, away from his toxic homelife, and walking with his boyfriend who he loved deeply. He and Remus had taken their time getting together, with Remus being uncertain due to his own low self-image, and Sirius being unsure simply because he didn’t want to mess things up.

But they had battled their demons, and they were much happier for it. 

“This is exciting,” Remus said eagerly as they marched with the crowd. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”

“I told you it was good, didn’t I?” Sirius grinned. “There’s even more people here this time than there was when I came before.”

Sirius stopped a moment to observe Remus in his element. With his corduroys and baggy jumper, he looked a far cry different from Sirius who was in plaid trousers, a _The Clash_ t-shirt, and a leather jacket—thank Merlin for the punk scene, Sirius always said—but Sirius loved Remus’s gentle look. His eyes were wide and bright, drinking in the lively scene around him. He had rainbow flags painted on his cheeks, just like Sirius, and sparkles of glitter danced on his skin, no doubt picked up from one of the many glittering posters. 

Remus was absolutely beautiful, Sirius was sure.

He leant in to kiss Remus’s cheek, just above the rainbow flag. 

Nobody jeered or looked at them in disgust. They were just two teenagers in love, and nobody cared that they were both male; just like nobody cared that Remus was a half-blood werewolf.

It was liberating to be free of both Muggle and magical prejudice. 

And for the time being even Voldemort was forgotten, something to worry about tomorrow. All that mattered was Remus, and their happiness together.

“Don’t look so pensive,” Remus quipped. “You’re supposed to be happy.”

“I am happy,” Sirius said, smiling brightly at Remus. “Very much so, in fact. I was just thinking about how good it is to feel happy when so much is going on in our lives at the moment.”

“Ah, don’t say it—the V word,” Remus nodded glumly. “Well let’s forget about him for now. This is one thing he isn’t going to take from us. Agreed?”

Sirius grinned. “Agreed.”

Because why should anything else matter; Sirius had everything he needed right there.

**2000**

Forty years old now, and Sirius was going to LGBT Pride for the first time in over twenty years. 

Voldemort, and then Azkaban, had put a hold on his outings in his youth, and they stopped again when he was effectively put under house arrest by Dumbledore. Now though, Voldemort was gone, Peter Pettigrew had been discovered which left Sirius a free man, and it was time for him to start living again.

So once again, marching hand-in-hand with the man he loved, Sirius was filled with joy as he walked with Remus.

Getting back together with him hadn’t been easy, with all the distrust and hurt lingering between them, but they had worked through their issues together and come out stronger.

And of course, this time around, the march was even better.

Harry stood in front of Sirius, hand-in-hand with Draco, while Ginny walked the same way with Luna. The four of them were eager and excited, unable to focus on anything in particular as their eyes took in the sight of everything around them.

They were the new generation now, the ones who would grow up happy and proud of who they were, unafraid as they marched with all the others who had travelled down the same path as them. Times had changed since Sirius had been young, but even though it could still be a battle, they had come a long way.

Even to Sirius, seeing couples in their fifties and sixties, and indeed even older, gave him hope for his own future. He hoped that he would still be deeply in love with Remus in ten years time, and the ten years after that, the both of them still marching together. 

“I hope I didn’t look as gobsmacked as they do when I came to Pride for the first time,” Remus laughed, jerking his head towards Harry and his friends.

“Oh, you did,” Sirius teased. “Only much cuter.”

“I heard that,” Harry muttered from the front of them.

Remus and Sirius exchanged a glance and grinned. Sirius knew that James and Lily would have been so proud of Harry, and as accepting of him as they were of Sirius and Remus. 

The road had been a long and twisted one, but they were there now, and Sirius had never been happier.


End file.
